Shrewsbury's Ivan Toney: Two-game ban is ref justice
Frustrated forward Ivan Toney admits he may have to change his game to avoid becoming a target for referees.
The on-loan Newcastle striker, Shrewsbury's joint-top scorer this season with six goals, picked up a 10th yellow card of the campaign at Fleetwood on Tuesday and will serve a two-match suspension.
The 20-year-old will now miss Saturday's League One visit of Bristol Rovers and the Boxing Day clash at Bolton Wanderers.
It leaves boss Paul Hurst with an attacking headache, with AJ Leitch-Smith still some way from recovering from a persistent knee problem.
Toney, who was sent off earlier in the season at AFC Wimbledon for two bookable offences, said: "Everyone's on you and you're the main target. They're going to try and bully you because they see you as a little kid really.
"You have to look after yourself out there. I'm picking up yellow cards, silly ones, but I'm just trying to look after myself out there.
"The referees are seeing something they don't like and it's putting me in a silly situation.
"I don't agree on all of them but it's their decision.
"I do seem to get some treatment and I give it back and get punished for it! Maybe I'll have to change my style of play, I don't know. I'm not going to back away from a challenge or a scuffle, I'm going to go in for the team.
"They all see me as a little kid but, believe me, I'll be able to look after myself when it's needed."
Toney has featured in all 10 matches under Hurst but has scored just once, in the 3-0 Checkatrade Trophy victory against Middlesbrough Under-23s.
"As a striker if I come off the pitch and I haven't scored then I'm not happy and I haven't scored for a few games so I haven't been in the best of moods," he added.
But the ex-Northampton man is not the only player who will miss the next two matches, with captain Adam El-Abd and Gary Deegan also banned.
Deegan also reached 10 yellow cards with a booking on Tuesday while El-Abd was dismissed for the second time this season, he also received his marching orders in the league defeat at Bury in September.
